Steam-engine cross-head lubricator



(No Model.)

` A. L. IDE. STEAM ENGINE GROSS HEAD LUBRIGATOR. n

Patented July 7, 1885.

Invmow LId'e/f bearing-surface.

ALBERI` L. IDE, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-ENGINE CROSS-HEAD LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming Apart of Letters Patent No. 321,726, dated July 7, 1885.

Application filed January 14, 1885. (No model.)

170 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ALBERT L. IDE,of Springfield, in the county of Sangamon vand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam Engine Gross- Head Lubricators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The general object of this invention' is to provide an improved construction in lubricating devices for the cross-heads and crosshead guides of steam-engines; and it consists in the matter hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The principal features of novelty in my invention are embodied-in the'means shown for lubricating the upper and lower cross-head guides and the bearing-surface of the wristpin, whereby the parts mentioned are all effectively lubricated from a supply of oill initially fed to the upper cross-head guide and conducted to the said several parts, as hereinafter fully set forth.

rIhe invention may be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section taken on a vertical plane through the cross-head and guides therefor,with a portion of the connecting-rods also shown in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken through the guides upon line :c w, the cross-head being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the cross-head, and illustrates the channel formed in its top slide or Fig. 4 is atransverse section, taken on line y y of Fig. 1, showing the wrist-pin in elevation, with the exception of one end thereof, which is shown in section. Fig. 5 is a detail, showing a tapered bushing for supporting one end of the wrist-pin, said bushing being viewed from its larger end.

In the said drawings, A is the cross-head, which consists, principally, of an oblong rectangular metal box, A', provided with upper and lower plates,c c,forming the bearing-surfaces of the cross-head. B is the connecting rod, and C is the pistonrod, which latter is secured in a hub, c", formed in the partiallyclosed end c3 of the box A. The said box A is formed with one open end, through which the end ofthe connecting-rod B enters. 'Ihe said connecting-rod is, as shown, made with a L solid or forged end, or one which is mortised to receive the brasses B', which are held in place by a wedge in the usual manner.

D is the wrist-pin, which is made separate from and detachably secured in the opposite sides or walls of the box cross-head at one end by means of a conical part, d, upon one end of the wrist-pin, which is fitted to an inwardlytapered aperture, as indicated at c5, Fig. 4, and at its opposite end by means of a tapered bushing, E, Figs. 4 and 5,'split, as indicated, at c, Fig. 5, and placed about a cylindric stem, d', upon the pin, and fitted to atapered aperture of the crosshead wall. rIhe wrist-pin is held in place by means of a nut, F, provided, as shown, with a short screw-stem entering a threaded socket in the smaller end of the wristpin and operating to tighten the split bushing upon the pin, and to thereby clamp the latter firmly in place. A washer, G, is preferably placed between the head of the nut and the bushing.

The construction herein shown and above described, in the cross-head and means for uniting the connecting-rod therewith, is fully described and claimed in another application for patent,No. 165,915, filed by me on the 18th day of May, 1885, and is not, therefore, herein claimed.

As an improved means of lubricating the cross-head guides II and H, and the wrist-pin bearing, an oil vcup or reservoir, L, is arranged upon the engine-fra1ne K at a point over the path of the cross-head, and oil or other lubricant is conducted from said reservoir to the upper guide, II, through a small vertical passage, Z, which is formed through the part of the engine-frame forming said guide, and is adapted to permit a slow feed of oil from the reservoir to the bearing-surface of the upper guide.l The upper bearing-surface of the cross-head is provided with longitudinal channels h,in which the oil is yreceived from the surface of the upper guide in the reciprocatory movement of the cross-head. The said channels 7L extend from the ends of the top surface of the cross-head to the iniddle of the same, where they communicate with a vertical passage. h, extending through the upper wall of the hollow cross-head to the interior thereof. The said channels h are made deeper at their inner than at their outer ends, whereby the oil collected therein is caused to ilow into said passage h. In the particular construction of the parts herein shown said passage h is preferably formed by means of a tube, M, secured in an opening` 7i?, formed vertically through the plate a and the upper wall of the box A. rllhe oil passing through the tube is discharged from the said tube into a funnel, N, carried by the connecting-rod and arranged below the funnel M. From the funnel N, which is situated at a point over the wrist-pin, the oil is conducted to the wrist-pin through a passage, a, eonnectin g with the funnel N, and passing through the connecting-rod and the brasses, so as to lubricate the bearingsurfaces of the latter and the wrist-pin.

In order that a desired quantity of oil should be gathered from the surface of the upper guide in the reciproeatory movement of the crosshead, the channels h in the upper surface ofthe cross-head are preferably widened or flared at their outer ends, as indicated at 713, so that the oil will be scraped from a portion ofthe guides of considerable width.

As preferably constructed the narrower portions of the channels It are arranged out of line with the discharge-oriiice l,- or, in other words, the portions of the channels situated between the passage It and the two widened end por tions Ir are formed parallel with each other and at opposite sides of a line running eentrally along the crosshead top, so that at all times such narrow portions of the channels are at one and the other side of the oil-passage Z. By this arrangement of the parts at each reciprocation of the cross-head the unchanneled top surface of the cross-head is brought beneath the oil-passage Z, so as to receive a quantity of oil to lubricate the same, which oil is distributed over the surface of the upper guide in the movement of the cross-head.

One of the side walls, as h, of the widened end portions ofthe channels h is preferably eX- tended obliquely across the path of the feedpassage, and in position to scrape off the oil which will collect at the discharge-orifice of the oil passage Z through the upper guide during the short intervals when the cross-head is clear of the said passage. By this means an ample supply of lubricant to the upper guide is insured, while at the same time the other parts to be lubricated will be properly fed, the feed-passage from the oil-cup or reservoir being of course of proper size to give a sufficient supply of oil for all the surfaces to be lubricated.

In order to provide means for lubricating the lower guide, H, a passage, P, is formed through the lower wall of the box A and the plate af, whereby such oil as may pass from the bearings for the wrist-pin and collect in the bottom of the hollow cross-head will be conducted to the lower guide, II. In order to direct the oil to central opening through the bottom of the hollow crosshead, the inner sur face of said bottom may be depressed somewhat around this opening, as shown. By this construction it is obvious that the upper and lower guides, and also the wrist-pin, may be lubricated from a single oil cup or reservoir located over the lower slide.

Although, as here shown, the oil for the lower slide must rst pass over or through the wrist-pin bearings, yet the result ot' oiling the lower guide from oil fed to the upper one may obviously be obtained by a passage connecting the upper surface of the crosshead with the lower one; or,whentheboX-form of cross-head is used and the wrist-pin is otherwise located than as herein shown, oil may drop from the passage h directly to the passage I).

In the particular construction of the parts herein shown, also, a separate oil-passage for supplying the lower guide may be formed in the top of the crosshcad, and such passage maybe so arranged that the oil may drip from it to the bottom of the box A without encountering the end of the connecting-rod,or a tube may be used connecting the said separate passage with the exit-passage at the bottom of the cross-head.

rlhc latter construction is illustrated in dotted lines in Figs. l and 2, in which one of thev passages h in the top of the slide is shown as communicating with a passage shown in dotted lines at 715, Figs. 2 and 3, which passage is connected by means of a tube (indicated at l1 by dotted lines) with the passage I?.

Inasmnch as a construction in cross-heads wherebylubricant is conveyed from the upper to the lower guide through a passage or passages in said cross-head is novel with me, I desire to claim, broadly, a cross-head provided with such passage or passages, whether used in the particular form of the cross-head herein shown or in cross-heads of other forms.

The lower guide may be provided at its ends with the usual recesses or pockets, one of which is shown at O, Fig. l, in which the surplus oil from the lower slide is received.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the cross head guides and connecting-rod of an engine, and means for feeding a lubricant to the upper guide, of a cross-head provided with a passage adapted to convey the lubricant from the upper guide to the bearing-surfaces of the pivetal joint between the said crosshead and rod, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the cross head guides of an engine, and means for feeding a lubricant to the upper guide, of a cross-head constructed with a passage to convey the lubricant from the upper to the lower guide, substanti ally as described.

3. lIhe combination, with the cross head guides of an engine, and means for feeding a lubricant to the upper guide, of a cross-head provided in its upper bearing-surface with a IIO channel adapted to collect lubricant fed to the upper erosshead guide and connecting with a eed-passageleading to other parts to be lubricated, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the cross head guides and connecting-rod of an engine, and means for feeding a lubricant to the upper guide, of a hollow cross-head adapted to reeeive the end of the connecting-rod, and provided with a passage, h, for conveying lubricant from the upper guide to the interior of the cross-head, said connecting-rod being provided with a funnel communicating with the bearing-surfaces of the pivotal joint between the rod and cross-head, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the cross-head guides and connecting-rod of an engine, and means for feeding a lubricant to the upper guide, of a hollow cross-head adapted to reeeive the end of the eonnecting-rod, and provided with a passage, h, in its top to convey the lubricant from the upper guide to the iuterior of the cross-head, and with a passage, I), in its bottom for the passage of lubricant 2 5 to the lower guide, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the erosshead guides of an engine, of the hollow cross-head A, a connecting-rod, B, provided with a lunnel, N, communicating with the bearing-sun 3o faces of the pivotal joint between the crosshead and rod, and a depending tube, M, located in the said cross-head over the said funnel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention Il affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT L. IDE.

Witnesses:

JAMES C. CONKLING, CLINTON L. CONKLING. 

